Rail-joint.



PATENTED JAN. 13, 1903.

-J. E. JONES.

RAIL JOINT. I APPLIOATION rum JULY 18, 1902.

K0 MODEL.

/ zzva lnlll UNITED I STATES ATENT CFFICE.

JESSE E. JONES, OF WEST MIDDLETON, INDIANA.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,354, dated January 13, 1903.

Application filed July 18, 1902.

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JESSE E. JONES, a citi zen of the United States, residingv at WVest Middleton, in the county of Howard and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which The following is a specification.

This invention relates to rail-joints, and particularly to that class in which the opposing ends of the rail overlap and have their opposing faces beveled, whereby the treadsurface of the rail'at the joint corresponds to and is of uniform breadth with relation to the main portion of the rail; and the primary object of the improved jointis to permit contraction and expansion and maintain a fixed relative position of the ends of the rails independent of the holding devices therefor, and also to provide means which will permit rails to be quickly and easilylaid and obstruct any tendency toward depression of the rails at the joints irrespective of the decay of the supporting devices thereunder, and also to reduce the wear and tear on car-wheels by overcoming the pound on the latter incident to the ordinary form of rail-joints now incommon use. The improved rail-joint also dispenses with the employment of fish-plates and reduces the number of bolts ordinarily necessary to assemble rail ends as they are now connected. 7

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rail-joint embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section on the line 4 4, Fig. 2. -Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of portions of rails embodying the features of the joint and showing the parts separated, the view being taken longitudinally of the open members of the joint.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several Views.

The numerals 1 and 2 designate rail-sections having the ends cut away in upwardbeveled planes, as at 3, on the inner oppos- Serial No. 116,104. (No modeLl ing surfaces, each rail at the inner terminal of the cut-away or beveled portion thereof being formed with an angular shoulder 4,

against which the free reduced end of the the rail-sections are formed with interlocking coinciding ribs 5, which gradually taper inwardly from the reduced'ends of the railsections to the shoulders 4, so that the great- 'est width of the ribs will be adjacent to the free ends of the said sections. Above the one rib 5 and below the opposite similar rib on the opposing beveled end grooves 6 are formed, one in each end, which have their greatest depth at their inner terminals adjacent to the shoulders 4. The grooves are tapered correspondingly to the ribs and through the medium of the reverse inclinations of the ribs and grooves a more positive and stronger support for the ribs in relation to each other is provided and which will resist downward movement ofthe rail-joints constructed in accordance with the-invention and at the same time permit the beveled extremities of the sections 1 and 2 to be closely interlocked without exterior projection on either side of the joint.

The beveled extremities of the sections 1 and 2 have a series of bolt-openings 7 formed therein which coincide with slots 8, constructed in the upper portion of one rib and in the under portion of the opposite rib, the said slots coinciding when the ribs are brought together to produce openings similar in dimensions to the opening 7, and through the openings and coinciding slots headed bolts 9 are inserted and have their heads directly brought in engagement with the inner face of one beveled extremity, the screw-threaded terminals of the bolts being engaged by nuts 10, turned up against the outer face of the opposite beveled extremity. By this means the use of fishplates is avoided and the number of bolts usually employed in connecting rail-joints is reduced to three. The extremities of the sections 1 and 2 where the shoulders 4 are constructed have vertical webs 11, depending from the heads of said sections to the baseflanges in order to fully cover and give an extended bearing for the reduced terminals of the said beveled extremities. Otherwise the rail-sections are constructed as are ordinary devices of this class.

The improved joint will be found exceptionally advantageous and wear on car-wheels moving thereover will be reduced to a minimum, and, furthermore, the usual clicking sound incident to wheels passing over straight joints of ordinary form will be avoided.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. A rail-joint comprising rail-sections having reverse1y-beveled extremities with horizontally-disposed ribs on the inner opposing beveled faces thereof, the said ribs being wider adjacent to the reduced terminals of the rail extremities and gradually tapering longitudinally of the latter and each section also having a longitudinal groove with its Widest portion at the inner terminal thereof,

the groove in one beveled extremity being above its rib and the groove in the opposite extremity below its rib whereby the two ribs may overlap in close relation, and securingbolts passed through the joint.

2. Arail-jointcomprising rail-sectionshaving the extremities reversely beveled and provided with inner horizontally-disposed ribs which are adapted to overlap, the said ribs being reduced gradually from the reduced ends of the beveled extremities of the sections and adapted to extend into grooves inclined reversely thereto, and securing-bolts passing through the parts of the joint.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JESSE E. JONES.

Witnesses:

THOMAS F. E. LONG, JACOB O. HORN. 

